I would sign up for all of the above if not for all the discussion about why Hasbro did not include a 5th figure in the Sheild Generator Battle Pack. If your rationale is correct, it should cost next to nothing for them to include the additional Imperial Officer proposed. But Hasbro decided that they could charge $20 for four figures or would need to raise the price to $25 for the five figures including the 2nd duplicate officer.

If the bulk of the cost is wrapped up in packaging, then why the need to charge $5 for an additional figure? Something doesn't add up there. I get that packaging per figure costs more, but I'd really be shocked to find that it costs twice the price of bundled figures.

I think with the inclusion of a second officer, it then switches back to figure production adding to the overall cost as they have to produce twice as many officers than the other figures to fill out the 5 figure format.

I much rather have the factory churning out let's say 100,000 of one figure and 100,000 of another versus tying up the line producing 200,000 of the same figure.

I think with the inclusion of a second officer, it then switches back to figure production adding to the overall cost as they have to produce twice as many officers than the other figures to fill out the 5 figure format.

Okay, help me with this math:

$8 per fig - Basic Fig $4 per fig - Clone Wars 5 Fig BP

We know profit margins on these items are high - Hasbro makes a profit on what they sell to retail and retail makes a profit off of us. Lets be conservative at 60% markup for Retailers and 66%. That means Hasbro's cost structure per figure is as follows:

Its not like the BP packaging is free, so let's assume the figure itself costs $1. That would mean basic figure packaging costs $2 and the BP packaging costs $.87 per figure for a total of $3.48.

This would follow Adam's logic that packaging adds quite a bit to the cost, but additional figures would only cost $1. Certainly doesn't seem like rational to raise the retail price an additional $5 for adding one figure.

someone over on sandtroopers found the 212th battalion BP already. Looks like the August 22 release date was the real one. But damn this just means I have one more thing to cross my fingers for this Friday

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School has been on strike all month. so much for the summer job I was hoping to get D:

We know profit margins on these items are high - Hasbro makes a profit on what they sell to retail and retail makes a profit off of us. Lets be conservative at 60% markup for Retailers and 66%. That means Hasbro's cost structure per figure is as follows:

Its not like the BP packaging is free, so let's assume the figure itself costs $1. That would mean basic figure packaging costs $2 and the BP packaging costs $.87 per figure for a total of $3.48.

Your numbers are a smidge off, I'm not at liberty to disclose exact numbers but from what I've seen at places that are NOT my employer, I can tell you the wholesale prices of a Hasbro figure are actually higher than that. And there's also issues of landed costs, which vary from chain to chain depending on what gets delivered where, distribution systems, etc. It isn't free to ship a figure from the Toys "R" Us warehouse to a store, for example.

There are a bunch of other factors that can change the price as well-- and yes, a lot of the time, it's the whims of the store. If they want it to be a loss leader, they can lower their price to increase foot traffic. (It makes sense for Wal-Mart to charge less for SW if it causes kids and collectors to come in and also buy toilet paper. And yes, they have analysis software to determine such things.) With Toys "R" Us, it's not like Target where they can take a hit on toys because they're going to make it up on light bulbs, sodas, diapers, and other goods you could just as soon have bought elsewhere. Toys "R" Us (and stores that are a bit more specialized) really do benefit from the extra $1, or $5, you pay for on some items.

"Cost of prodcut" is very hard to nail down-- in my experience it's not $X for the package and $Y for the figure, but it tends to be a quote on the entire "thing"-- the packaged figure. If it sounds like I'm talking crazy, that means I'm explaining it more or less correctly.

This would follow Adam's logic that packaging adds quite a bit to the cost, but additional figures would only cost $1. Certainly doesn't seem like rational to raise the retail price an additional $5 for adding one figure.

Of course, TRU raises their prices by $5 for no reason at all...

Toys "R" Us has very good reasons-- as does Target. They have a business to run, goals to meet, employees to pay, and a marketplace where kids grow up earlier every year. Wal-Mart has screamingly efficient delivery systems (or so I am told), and I've heard very little about Toys "R" Us-- but from peeking in their systems, it doesn't exactly seem to be supremely advanced (again, from what little I gather, someone can probably provide better light on this than I can.)

KB has charged more for years, and Toys "R" Us-- who is also struggling-- will need to do so as well. (Target's $7.99 Joes just seems to be a grab for the extra buck because the product is so hot they have no reason NOT to do it.) It really isn't as simple as one figure adding $5 to the price, but lots of creeping factors causing the entire packaged product's cost to go up-- paint, transportation, prototyping, salaries, all that junk. (It also wouldn't surprise me if the Target packs were nailed down before Hasbro decided they had to do the adjustments in pricing vs. product.)

Another fun example-- DC Infinite Heroes from Mattel. 1 individual figure is $4.99 at Target or $7.99 at Toys "R" Us. (There's a gap.) The 3-pack boxed set? $9.99 at Target. Unless this is some sort of mistake, it really does prove that you can apparently save a bundle by selling figures IN a bundle.

As depressing as it is, we're probably not all that far off from a $9.99 basic figure. It'd probably make a lot more sense (in a "let's keep costs down" way) for Hasbro to do more in the way of Battle Packs and Comic Packs, but that individually carded figure is such a popular format that we'll probably never see that happen. Personally, I'd like to see more sensible (read: not with a figure I already bought) multi-packs just to keep packaging manufacturing down, to reduce transportation costs, and to get me more figures at once. I think the Joe 2-packs of the 2000s were a step in the right direction, *except* for all the repacks and the lack of putting troops in 2-packs for those who were so inclined. I bet a lot of money could be saved and made if the 3 3/4-inch industry focused solely on boxed sets.

Even though they haven't shown up at retail yet (to my knowledge), I went ahead and ordered both the Yoda/CG and Obi-Wan/212th sets online at Target.com last week. With all the hassle that goes with any and all Target exclusives for me, I figured it was worth it to not have to deal with tracking them down in the coming weeks. Target shipped them out on Friday, and they're supposed to arrive either tomorrow or Wednesday, so if anyone cares, I'll give a quickie review of them once I open them up later this week.

We were placing an order at Target.com anyways, so I went ahead and grabbed the Yoda set as well. Should be here sometime this week. Of course, these will probably by going for $5 on clearance at Target after Christmas .

As promised, a quickie review or "things to look for (or not)" once these hit retail and/or others start getting theirs:

-It really does seem like a good value (a Jedi and their Clones), and I really hope that this continues with the other legions we'll undoubtedly see in the CW series in the coming months/years. It's a pretty simple way for Hasbro to crank out the repaints, sell an exclusive set with minimal costs, and keep the kids happy with the main characters. My only question is how many times they can resell us Yoda, since he's appeared with the red Senate Security Clones, these (theoretically), and will undoubtedly appear with Gree and the 41st in the cartoon series.

-One disappointment is a lack of accessories in the set. Each Clone only comes with the weapon he is holding (three short blasters and one long blaster rifle), and although Yoda comes with his cane, lightsaber, and blue missle thing from the carded release (making the carded release pretty useless), Obi-Wan, despite being pictured with his jet pack, comes without any of these accessories, nor does he include the extra helmet. Still, he'll make a good pilot for the upcoming JSF, but folks who were hoping for extra jet packs for customs will be waiting a while longer, I'm sad to say.

-The Clones are "clean" in that their deco is more akin to the WM 501st Trooper and not the initial carded release of the white Clones in wave 1. That could be good or bad depending on how you see things, although I, for one, really liked the wear on the first carded Clones and wouldn't have complained had these had the same or similar wear on them.

-As usual, the warnings about Hasbro and their obsessive need for little rubber bands apply, but thankfully the guns are only tied into one hand each, so you can always switch out the guns into the non-damaged/non-warped hands.

Overall, these are well worth the 20 bucks from Target.com, and if/when they show up at retail here, I may have to get another set of the 212th Clones just for the heck of it (and several more if they go on clearance).

Yeah, I prefer picking up Kenobi this way. I like the orange clones for some reason. It will go along well with Cmdr Cody. I would rather go this route than buy 4 seperate clones at $8 plus tax. I just wish Kenobi had the helmet. Oh well.

This set has been showing up in Canada. Zellers is claiming it as their own exclusive without the little target sign of course, and this isnt the 1st target exclusive they have done this to

Its retailing for $20 but since its not in the computer some people have been getting it cheaper. Im not entirely sure but I think my mom picked them up for $11 each..but as family tradition goes I will have to wait till christmas to get them lol Either way Im happy thats soke money saved that I can put towards buying NHL 09

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School has been on strike all month. so much for the summer job I was hoping to get D: